]]>I guess it comes as no surprise that I believe organic foods are superior in quality, flavor and nutrition over ‘conventional’ foods.

Cooking food with organic ingredients that are way more flavorful than if I used the lifeless produce found at conventional grocery stores has changed my life. Cooking – and eating – organic food has doubled my energy levels and helped me enjoy permanent weight loss. No researcher can take that away. In fact, it’s something I help others achieve in my Green Club every day.

When it comes to my health and my family’s health, organic’s got my vote every time. I see it as an investment – a way to live a life of prevention everyday. Witness my blogs on the topic.

Think of organic and conventional foods like this. If I gave you a beautiful recipe for a homemade soup and told you to season it with a dash of a few pesticides in your garage to keep the pests at bay would you do it? Probably not. Well that is exactly how conventional foods are grown. They are sprinkled with toxic pesticides that you, your kids, pets and family ingest on a daily basis. Consuming toxic chemicals on a daily basis adds an additional layer of stress that can promote weight gain, and contribute to the development of serious human disease.

Trusted researchers – like the ones found at The Organic Center – are tried and true resources for me and my fellow bloggers here at OrganicAuthority.com on the benefits of organic foods…which brings me to the point: the American Journal of Clinical Research just published a paper commissioned by the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA). Its shocking findings include that there are no differences in nutritional quality between conventional and organic foods.

The good folks at The Organic Center, lead by chief scientist Chuck Benbrook, have issued a strong response. Highlights from the study include:

Old news: The FSA review included studies over a 50-year period: January 1958 through February 2008. The Organic Center team included studies published since 1980. Most studies published before 1980 were found flawed for purposes of comparing the nutrient content of today’s conventional and organic crops.

Downplayed Findings: The FSA downplays the positive findings which favor organic food, and did not measure important nutrients such as antioxidants.

Missing Altogether: The FSA doesn’t take into consideration the health benefits of organic farming to the people and planet as a whole. By not using fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides and chemicals that pollute air, water and soil, organic food is by its very essence better and healthier than conventional foods.